The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-06-17

THE PENSION oFFlCG
punsleas ronssoa Pe1Deys
Tho following comparative statement
q the work q the Pension Bureau dur
ing tho last two years q The Republic
On rule and che first two years Of the
Democratic Administration speaks vol
umea The records Of the Government
ere. Of course kept BY fiscal years. the
appropriations being made By Congress
IN that manner
In the year ending June 50, ISIS.
under the admin stration Of w. w. Dud-
ley. there were 5a27S pension certih-
Gates issued. Of which number 50. l6l
were original caseA aud the remainder
increase and miscellaneous claims.
Tor the fiscal year ending June 50.
1884. the total number Of certificates
issued was 56.729. Of which 81. 100 were
original. and the remainder increase
and miscellaneous cases. In the next
fiscal year. up to the 18th Of March.
1885, when the present Commissioners
entered upon the duties Of his once.
there were SO. l54 certificates Of al
kinds issued. From March II up 70
June so q the same year. period Of
only two months and half. there
were issued 81. 252 pension certificates.
| The fiscal year cnAng June 80
| 1885, made q splendid showing for
the new administration. there hav-
! ing been issued 76,654 pension
| certificates, l0.S52 Of which were
l original cases. In that same fiscal
/ year OF 1856 there were also Is
sued 1926 supplemental certificates
! to widows and dependent relatives
whose pension had been increased BY
| the act Of March 19. 1861 grand
total for that one year Of 159.64S allow
ances. These supplemental certificates
were issued within very few months
after the passage Of the law, the Com
missioner OF Pensions having person
sonally directed how the work should
be done. At no time in the history Of
the Office has such an enormous num-
Der Of pensions been increased without
interference with the regular work OF
the Office. or without . call upon Con-
gress for additional help. From the
LIST Of July, 1886. up to and including
the S0th Of April, 1887. there we're IA
COS certificates issued. Of which Sa.S5a
were original cases.
There is vet remaining one mouth
81 the present fiscal year, and the re-
suit will be magnificent showing,
greater by far than any previous year
in the history of the Office. 1t should
be borne in mind that this immense
amount Of work has been performed
with reduction Of the clerical force
Of over 100. With the administration
Of the present Commissioner new era
was inaugurated in the Pension Bureau
He determined to conduct the Office
upon strict business principles. and re-
uuired that the entire time OF the
clerical force during Office hours should
be devoted to the consideration and
transaction Of the public business. ant
the settlement Of long delayed pension
claims. As one result Of this regula
ton the fiscal year exhibited saving
, | in the matter Of leaves Of sbsence Q
1864 days Of the aggregate time Q
the clerical force. or forty-two years
eleven months and four days Of tn
time OF . single clerk.
In the year Of 1886 the present Com
} missioner turned over 10 the treasur.
one hundred thousand dollars (e100.
O00) Of unexpended appropriations o.
account Of the hire Of clerical force, an
he effected ; saving in the same yea
> in the item Of stationery Of owe
thirteen thousand dollars 1S.O0W-
this Notwithstanding the fact that III
: business Of the bureau has bssn YER
r largely increased.
LII was formerly the practice thu
when a pension claim had been mes
!. lected-that Is, when the claimant Q
4 his attorney had failed 70 call up th
! case for : certain length Of time, I
q mark the case abandoned" and col
2 slider it in about the same light - > r
|. iected case. The Commissioner r
/. versed this unjust practice, and r
ouired Of his chiefs that all claim
should be given chance Of being coI
sidered and finally adjudicated Ever
8 case filed during his administratic
has received prompt attention, and b
IN order that all cases filed prior to b
n entry into Office should Be examine
~ before the lst Of June has already be'
- fully complied with. and there is NOS
ID single case in the pending files q q
>: Office which has not been examined. q
e in which steps have not been taken
4, - ward it, final settlement To illustra
4. the enormous increase in the busine
or Of the Pension Bureau. during :
ID month Of March. 1884, there were !
!. ceived 159. 1888 pieces Of mail mstt1
- and there were sent ont from the OH
ct 1ll, 1893 circulars and letters In :
m month Of March, 1857, thcre were
CO eeived 287, 263 pieces Of mail matt